Code Name: Emrys
by Lyrasloon
Summary: Takes place around season 2 or so, about when Morgana first discovered her magic. A/U Emrys is sent by the Association to Camelot to meet Morgana, not knowing the true details of his mission. T for some violence, cause I'm just paranoid.
1. Mysterious Stranger

A/N: Okay, so I got stuck debating whether or not I should be updating my HTTYD fics or if I should just give in and write one of these new ideas that keep bouncing around in my brain. I mean, it's been forever since I updated that NCIS story. I'm so awful. -_-' And yet I have this notebook full of new ideas. Sigh. But I digress. Unfortunately, I just can't get this one out of my head, but I promise that I'll keep up with HTTYD...and maybe NCIS. I hope. Anyway, as much as I love this show, I have a serious love/hate relationship with it.

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Stranger

Camelot was (in Merlin's opinion), somewhat overrated. It's not like he'd seen it during the day so far, but almost every city he'd been to looked alike at night. He had arrived a little too early, so now all he could really do was remain hidden in a tree and wait for at least a few more hours. Thinking back with more than a little amusement, he really had quite enjoyed playing around with those simple-minded guards. It was something that his mistress would've definitely have frowned upon, which made Merlin inwardly cringe just to think about it.

He'd been given orders by the Magic Association Special Forces Unit to come here to Camelot in total secrecy. No one else in his entire unit even knew where he had gone, as his mistress had once again given him another mission in the dead of night. He took very little with him, bringing only his fighting outfit that he was wearing, a cloak, some weapons, and a little food. A sleeping bag would only weigh him down, seeing as he would stop only long enough to eat and nothing more. He'd left about three days ago, making the last time he slept about four or five nights ago. Merlin groaned just thinking about it, really. If he knew that he'd be going on this mission, he wouldn't have gone through all that rigorous training all those days before. A bed seemed really nice right about now. Unfortunately, he had also decided that there was no way he'd make it to this meeting on time and made the _fantastic_ decision to teleport the last leg of his journey. He had always been somewhat of a perfectionist, which made him practically paranoid when it came to being on time. It was even worse when his mistress gave him a mission like this one, because he really didn't fancy whatever consequences he'd face should he fail. He knew that he was about to lose his struggle at staying awake, regardless of what might happen if he missed this meeting. It was getting dark and the guards rarely came this way for some reason, which was probably why she had picked this as the place to meet.

Just as his eyes were beginning to close for a much needed nap, he sensed someone running in his seemed to be three or four people people after them, about ten or fifteen yards away. As this was not a place with much traffic to begin with, he figured he best save the person that was most likely the one he was meeting; else he'd be in a lot of trouble when he got back. Luckily, he still had the advantage of surprise and could hear them coming. Jumping down from the tree, he waited for the lady to pass before pulling two daggers from his cloak and throwing them at the guards. Knowing that there was third assailant, he scanned his surroundings and searched for a shadow or sword. The lady had most foolishly backed herself towards a tree, probably to relax, which was the perfect opening for last person to attack. She was too close for him to throw another dagger, at least initially. As he noticed the last one sneak up on her, he was forced to stun him and hope that she wouldn't move.

" _Folge min bebod!"_

Luckily, she seemed too shocked to try and move until after he had collected his daggers and checked to make sure things were finished. Adjusting his hood as he got up, he looked at her curiously and hoped that it was her and not some random person that he'd now be forced to kill.

"Are you the Lady Morgana?" he asked, more uncertain than usual. He couldn't fully see her expression, but he had a distinct feeling that she had a scowl on her face. He saw her unconsciously pull her cloak tighter towards herself, which was really an answer in itself, but he needed a true vocal confirmation. Somehow, her reaction reminded him of his mistress, which was odd. Could they possibly be related somehow, even close friends?

"Who wants to know?" she asked, looking more and more like his mistress by the minute. He knew his mistress always had a way of using misdirection as a means of interrogation. He did it himself on occasion, or so he was told. He was hoping she wouldn't ask for such details, for he really didn't know much.

"My mistress sent me, telling me that you knew I was coming. Is that not why you're here at such a time?" he asked, giving her a wrapped scroll. He could only hope that his mistress had indeed sent word ahead, which she usually did. The lady hesitantly took the scroll, opening it and relaxing as she saw her sister's unmistakable writing.

 _Sister,_

 _As you can see, I have sent you someone from the Association. If you haven't had a chance to witness it yet, I'm quite sure that it won't be long until you do. His name is Merlin, but his code name is Emrys and he is part of the Special Forces Unit. He is quite talented and has a lot more potential, from what I have seen so far. I know that you are new to the magical world, but if you have any questions he is the one to ask. I have trained him personally since he was young and he has gotten to be quite the genius in several fields. Do not let his unassuming and idiotic personality that he sometimes uses fool you. He is quite adept at using his surroundings and adjusting to them as he sees fit, which I'm sure you'll notice as some point. He has indeed been trained to be the best, but even I cannot twist my personality the way he can. On that front, he does not have much knowledge as to the relationship between us and that can only change if you say something. However, he is quite cunning and can decipher even the smallest of clues. You can use him as you see fit, but he is there as a bodyguard for you more than anything else. Tell him what you wish, but you may not dismiss him. Until we next meet._

As she finished the letter, she sighed and thought about what to do with him. How could she even explain this to Uther, let alone justify it? Groaning, she pulled back her hood and looked at the boy...man? He had saved her life once already, but he really didn't seem all that impressive. She did, however, notice for the first time how exhausted he seemed. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, bordering on a possibility of collapse. Where could she even put him? In the hall?

"Okay, when was the last time you actually slept?" she asked, looking at him skeptically as he visibly swayed.

"I am fine, Milady. Does my mistress have any orders I need to know or am I to return straight away now that I have found you?"

"She wants you to stay here, probably at least a good while I suppose. You're to be my bodyguard it would seem."

That was not what he had expected. This was the first time that he was being ordered to just stay in one place and wait for orders. He looked at the Lady Morgana and tried to put together if his mistress was concerned about her as an ally or something more. Be that as it may, he wasn't to let her stray to far from his sight. If tonight was any indication, he'd have plenty of work to do. How was he supposed to get any rest? Did they actually train these knights at the castle or were they just born incompetent? Either way, he wouldn't allow himself to-

"Your name is...Merlin, isn't it?" she asked, interrupting his internal ranting. Nodding slightly, he sighed inwardly. He really hoped that she wasn't looking for some in depth conversation at the moment; he couldn't say that he had the energy for it.

"It is Milady. Did you need something?" _Please say no. Please say no._

"Well, I was wondering where you were going to sleep."

"I suppose I was going to sleep in that tree over there, but being your bodyguard now and all-"

"I hope you weren't thinking of sleeping in my chambers." she said, giving him an all too familiar glare. As much as he wanted to ask about his hunch, they say that curiosity killed the cat. Inwardly shaking the thought off, he went for the idiot approach. It usually worked on most people, save his mistress and most of the people he worked with.

"No! Why would you-I mean, that's improper! I could never do something like that."

Morgana, however, wasn't one of those that would fall for this, apparently. Well, she might have, had she not read her sister's letter, which warned her of his ability to do things like this. Morgause had said that she'd see it pretty soon, and so she has. She had to admit that she probably would have fallen for it completely; it was quite flawless. However, this wasn't exactly the time or place for things like this.

"My...you know, she warned me about this ability of yours, the way you like to change personalities and such so easily. You are quite good, I must admit."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, as he listened to what she had said. So she was related to his mistress, but how? She seemed...close to her, almost as familiar as a close friend or family member. But last he had heard, his mistress had no living relatives. He wondered if the Lady even knew herself or if she were merely floundering about in the dark, so to speak. He supposed he could put this information along with everything else he knew so far. He could ask questions and subtly interrogate her as to her relationship, for the sake of curiosity, if nothing else.

"My mistress says many things, I suppose, giving warnings to those she knows; no matter if it be an ally or a friend. I'm sure she's told you many things." he said, cryptically.

He had plans to make her quite paranoid, also, because he was almost sure that she had read about his interrogation methods. It may not be his place as he was merely a warlock within the Association, but it's not like he was outright torturing her...mostly. He was just entertaining himself until she broke and accidentally told him what she was hiding. He figured she'd fight back twice as hard, if she really was some sort of ally or relation to his mistress. He knew from experience that her allies were only the best and strongest. Whoever this Lady Morgana really was, she at least had a strong will, and that would make it all the more challenging. He saw her momentarily stiffen, as she realized exactly what he was doing. She obviously didn't find this nearly as amusing as he did.

 _I'm sure that will change soon._

"You do realize that you're going to have to take off the hood during the day, else Uther will probably see you as a threat. He is rather…"

"Paranoid? Insecure? Suspicious?" Merlin listed off, determined to keep himself vertical somehow. This conversation was taking _way_ too long. Sleep. He needed to sleep anywhere.

"I suppose he is, but it can't stay on during the day at least. I still need to figure out how to justify you being here to Uther somehow, let alone where I should let you sleep. I'm not to send you away, but you're obviously in no condition to-" Morgana went on, in hopes that the answer would somehow just come to her.

As Merlin's swaying finally became a bigger concern, she cut herself off and went closer; after days of not sleeping and using too much of his magic, he stumbled over a small rock and fell to his knees. Giving a last ditch effort, he used his trembling arms to try and get back to his feet. Being only half conscious and with blurry vision, he only made it halfway before collapsing and scraping his head on a rock on the way down. Morgana wasn't usually a panicky individual, but she had to admit that this was definitely a problem. Her sister had sent her apprentice, who was obviously very skilled. He had gotten rid of those that were after her without even trying, it seemed. That was a problem that she had to deal with. Should she say that Merlin saved her from these renegade guards? It was quite possible they just didn't know who she was. They _were dead_ after all. Who is to know but the two of us, and besides, I'm not the one who killed them. I feel bad dishonoring them and their families this way, but this really is the only way I think. Yes, they were some renegade guards that perhaps didn't recognize me or maybe just didn't care, and Merlin here shockingly came along and rescued me. That part really is true, anyway. But what about why I was out here in the first place? Hmm. It's just because things have been so busy as of late and I wanted some time to myself. The man should be rewarded, and I don't think it's over? Well, I'm sure I'll do it somehow. Now, what should I do with him? She said not to just dismiss him, but he's sleeping and all. I don't know if he'll even wake up if I sent Gaius for him or not. Would he sleep for days or should I wait?

Next chapter: Does she go to Gaius, wait there? Maybe go get Arthur? O_O Does Gwen find her? What does Uther say? When will Merlin wake up? Does Merlin figure out about Morgana/Morgause? Who is his mistress? ( you haven't figured that part out)

Sorry. I'd write more, but the keyboard is jumping around. Oops.

A/N: Well, that was quite a bit longer than I thought it would be. About 2k+? Right? I am so tired. Sorry. I would've made this longer or added another chapter maybe, but my epilepsy meds activate and make my vision all blurry at night and during the morning. I figure I'll try to do this one and my HTTYD series. I seriously need to update NCIS. _


	2. Is This a Trap

A/N: As I'm trying to do all of my different fics efficiently, I'm hoping to able to get all of them done in a pretty short amount of time; depending on how long they end up being. Let's be honest. My HTTYD fic has gotten slightly out of hand -_- I'm actually not even sure how long this one will be, as I'm pretty much making this up as I go. I didn't even have a title until I was at least halfway done with the first chapter. _

Meri Ley: Well, considering I've already had him kill several people and use a spell in front of Morgana (probably surprising her quite a bit on that front), I think he's off to a good start. I'm pretty sure that I won't use Kilgharrah, because he made things so much worse. Meh.

Last Chapter: _Her sister had sent her apprentice, who was obviously very skilled. He had gotten rid of those that were after her without even trying, it seemed. That was a problem that she had to deal with. Should she say that Merlin saved her from these renegade guards? It was quite possible they just didn't know who she was. They were dead after all. Who is to know but the two of us, and besides, I'm not the one who killed them. I feel bad dishonoring them and their families this way, but this really is the only way I think. Yes, they were some renegade guards that perhaps didn't recognize me or maybe just didn't care, and Merlin here shockingly came along and rescued me. That part really is true, anyway. But what about why I was out here in the first place? Hmm. It's just because things have been so busy as of late and I wanted some time to myself. The man should be rewarded, and I don't think it's over? Well, I'm sure I'll do it somehow. Now, what should I do with him? She said not to just dismiss him, but he's sleeping and all. I don't know if he'll even wake up if I sent Gaius for him or not. Would he sleep for days or should I wait?_

Chapter 2: Is This a Trap?

Morgana looked down at her savior and sighed, knowing that she probably wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. This was just ridiculous. As glad as she was for her sister's help, she wasn't sure if she should tell him or tiptoe around him. Telling him would undoubtedly make little to no difference, but she had no doubts that his mistress was Morgause. She _had_ trained him after all, which is why she knew him so well. She could only see part of his face, as he had fallen and his hood had lifted up some. He wasn't too unpleasant to look at, really; at least from what she could see. He might have had some horrible disfigurement on the other side for all she knew. She wanted to look and see how he looked on the other side, merely for curiosity's sake. Then, she remembered how he took out those men so easily, and just as quickly withdrew her hand. She was still curious, but she wasn't sure if he would kill her, tired or not

Morgana yawned, noticing that the sun was just beginning to rise. She saw Merlin shift a bit, as if caught in some type of nightmare. She could sympathize if that was the case, though they didn't happen as often as they used to. Her sister's bracelet had indeed been quite the miracle worker, and for that she was thankful. Hearing a branch snap nearby, she looked at Merlin and then in the general area that the noise had come from. What if it was another group of people that could be meaning to kill her? He wouldn't be able to help her this time. Maybe it was just some random patrol, if she was lucky enough. Then she would be able to get back and hopefully get all of this sorted out without anyone else getting killed. He was able to do a lot when he was awake, that was for certain. Who knew what he could do when he was sleeping? Was he even sleeping or was he merely trying to get her guard down? Her mind was going in circles just trying to figure things out. Speaking of which-

 _Was that Leon over there?_

Now this was a turn of events that would help her for sure! Leon had always taken a shining to her, ever since she had been young. This was just perfect. As much as she hated to leave him alone like this, she knew that he was supposed to be _her_ bodyguard and not the other way around. As ladylike as she could pretend to manage in this type of a situation, she ran up to Leon and played the damsel in distress.

"Leon!"

Leon knew there was something off about Morgana's behavior, as she was not only covered in dirt, but acting quite distressed. For someone of her standing who even knew quite a bit of swordplay, it just didn't make any sense at all. He looked around subtly, but he couldn't see anything that could cause such a reaction. Frowning, he looked at Morgana from head to toe, trying to see if she had an injury.

"I am unharmed, but I was attacked in the woods!" Morgana said, looking distraught in the area she had just come from. Leon started to draw his sword and was prepared to give the order, when Morgana stopped him. "Someone protected me, but he is injured. He probably needs help from Gaius." Immediately, Leon stopped and sent word, running towards the forest. Morgana smiled inwardly, happy that things were going according to plan so far.

Leon looked at the slightly hooded man somewhat skeptical, but cast the thought aside for now. He was injured helping Morgana, so questions could wait. Why he was wearing a hood was kind of strange, though. Putting the man over his shoulder, he went back towards Gaius and noticed the people who were probably the ones after Lady Morgana. Frowning, he told himself to make sure he remembered to have them looked at. Something told him that this lad was some type of assassin who had protected her for some weird reason. He didn't understand it, but he needed to for the sake of everyone's safety.

Morgana watched Merlin rest on the cot, when she noticed he was dreaming again. She felt sorry for him, really. Perhaps it was his job that gave him nightmares like this. She had seen the way that he hadn't even flinched as he had retrieved his daggers, let alone used them. She had never killed anyone before, so she could only imagine how it felt to constantly have to think about something like that. She knew for sure that if her sister really wanted her as an ally, she'd end up killing people in her army just like he does. For some reason, she found herself holding his hand and waiting for him to wake up. Leon and a few of the other knights had passed through, carrying the dead men that were in the forest. It made her a bit nervous, actually. Here she was, sitting next to an...assassin, bodyguard, teacher, and they might discover everything before he even woke up.

Merlin saw his mistress ahead, as she sometimes liked to appear in his dreams when he was away from her. Secretly, he wasn't sure if it was because she sort of missed him or if she was just bored without him. Yes, his mistress loved to appear to interrupt his sleep as maybe some form of torture, he supposed. That was definitely her style.

"Mistress? I have arrived in Camelot and met the Lady Morgana as you wished. Why is it you wish me to stay and protect her? Is she an ally?"

Morgause arched an eyebrow at him, almost smiling at his suddenly audacious attitude. Every once in awhile, his boldness was welcome.

"You've gotten better at your methods, I'll give you that, Emrys. But I won't tell you unless she does." she replied, smirking.

Merlin hated to admit it, but he wasn't sure if he really liked that smirk. Sometimes it boded nothing good in his future, and other times she was just outright making fun of him. Pouting, he looked at her and sighed.

"That's very kind, surely."

"Oh, do stop pouting, Emrys. It never did you any favors before." she said, looking quite exasperated. "Tell me, then. What do you think of her?"

Merlin gulped, looking at the ground. He hated these types of questions.

 _What do I say? What can I say? I barely even know her. Do I tell her that I think she's kind of pretty? No. I still don't know how they're related, so mistress might actually strip me bare if I said something like that? What if she found out I was trying to trick her into telling me about the two of them?! Oh, I would totally be screwed. Yeah, because she doesn't know already. She's just playing around with you, moron. What to say...what to say…_

"What can I say, mistress? I barely know her at all."

 _There. That's not only the truth, but not saying too much. Right?_

"Oh, Emrys. Have you still not learned that not telling me the entire truth is bad after all these years?" she said, quietly. He could see her walking slowly towards him, making him very nervous. He wracked his brain for something to say that wouldn't get him killed the next time he saw her.

 _What could I possibly say?_

"I-I think she seems like a kind person, considering I barely know her!" he practically yelled, which was pretty dangerous. Merlin wasn't afraid of many things, but his mistress just terrified him. She stopped only a few feet in front of him and gave him a 'go on' look. Biting his lip, he sincerely hoped he wasn't signing his own death warrant. "Sh-She seemed calm with everything going on around her and she could have just had me arrested immediately. Even if I had saved her, she could have done whatever she wanted to me."

Morgause smiled and touched his cheek, letting him know he did well and that he would not be punished. He relaxed until she turned around and walked away from him. She usually just disappeared or something.

"Mistress?" he asked, looking confused.

"You're injured, are you not?" she asked quietly, yet not unkind. Merlin wasn't sure if she was concerned or angry with him, which made him pretty nervous.

"Yes, mistress." he answered her, disappointed in his own failure. He really shouldn't have used all of that magic and teleported like that.

"Morgana is near you now, so you are lucky that you haven't failed in protecting her. What do you plan on doing about the bodies, Emrys?"

Merlin looked confused, as he was pretty sure they were already dead and gone. Suddenly it occurred to him and he groaned. Don't tell me that Camelot took them."

"You have some work to do, Emrys." Morgause reprimanded him, frowning. "I suppose it can't be helped. I should've given you more notice or more time to get there."

Merlin frowned, looking at her strangely. This was most unlike her to be so distraught and such. It was his fault as he had disappointed her and not the other way around.

"I am sorry, mistress. I won't disappoint you again. Please do not worry. Lady Morgana shall not come to harm as long as I am around. Are you coming to Camelot soon?"

Morgause shook her head, in both bemusement and in answer. It was so like him to take the blame for her errors like this. However, it was no use to dwell on things that didn't matter anymore. She had things to run and orders to give, and he needed to protect her sister.

"I will in time, but not right now. I want you to keep her safe and make sure she keeps her bracelet on. She must not lose it if she wants to be able to sleep."

"Yes, mistress." Merlin said, looking at her seriously.

"There is something else, Emrys." she told him, looking him straight in the eye.

"Mistress?"

"If she asks about the world of magic, you will be the one to teach her. I do not want that fool Gaius interfering at all. Uther has both a fear and a hatred for magic, so be watchful. You may have to protect her from even him."

"Mistress, what shall I do about the bodies?" Merlin asked, biting his lip.

"Emrys, I trained you to be prepared for many things. I'm sure you'll think of something." she said cryptically.

"Why can't you just answer me?" Merlin whined as she started to disappear, leaving her bracelet shining in the mist. "Mistress!" Merlin groaned both in his dreams and outside, reaching for the bracelet. He had barely touched it, when the dream abruptly ended and he found himself touching Morgana's bracelet.

Morgana was on the verge of falling asleep herself when she felt someone touching her wrist, right where her bracelet was. Looking at Merlin, she gasped and sat straight up. He was looking more at the bracelet and mumbling.

"Mistress said not to lose it. Don't lose it, no matter what." Merlin mumbled, barely half awake.

Morgana looked at the bracelet, wondering when he could have talked to her sister. He obviously couldn't tell her now, as he was barely awake and sounding practically delirious. She sighed, moving his hand back to the cot and letting him go back to sleep for a while. She still hadn't gone to see Uther at all, let alone Arthur. The only one who had seen her was Gwen, who had made her leave for breakfast and a bath. She had to admit that she felt a lot better being in new clothes, but she was still nervous about the whole situation in general. She would just have to wait for him to wake up so she could get everything in the open.

It had been four days since that night in the forest and Merlin's arrival and he had only been awake that one time, with Morgana by his side. The castle was unfortunately full of the gossip as to who he was and why he was even here. Uther and Arthur had gotten suspicious on the second day, when she kept going from her room and back to see Merlin. She never went anywhere else, including the meals that she would usually eat with them. She supposed that it was too good to be true that it had lasted even this long. They had held off, probably at Arthur's request and with a lot of persuasion. Arthur had come by on the fourth day with the excuse that he wanted to ask how Merlin was doing, even if he didn't quite know what the circumstances were. He probably figured that he was a close friend of someone she knew or something. He'd been spending the last few days between practice trying to figure it out, with no particularly good results. Maybe they'd get better answers when he woke up, but there was nothing they could do at the moment.

Merlin sensed someone was standing by Morgana, who was even armed with at least a sword. Morgana didn't seem to feel threatened at all, so he felt no need to make a move on the man. This was not the first time he had come in here, but this was the first time he had been so close. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd have to say that this was the prince, Arthur, from what his mistress had said. He had been thinking about waking up fully, but he had no intentions of starting a battle or an interrogation within five minutes. He had sensed Gaius already leave for at least a few hours, and planned on waiting until it was just Morgana until he woke up.

Morgana must have somehow sensed that he was already almost awake and just waiting for Arthur to leave, because she practically pushed him out the door before sitting down again.

"It's safe now." she told him, barely containing her laughter as she saw him roll his eyes.

"Yes, I suppose it is for now at least." he said, his voice sounding a bit rough. Morgana gave him a bit of water, which helped immensely. Sitting up, he thought about the situation he'd just managed to land himself in. He supposed a great deal of it _was_ his fault, no matter what his mistress may have said. Him getting injured was no one's fault but his own, and now he had been doing nothing but sleeping while things just got more and more complicated. Sighing, he tried to contain a groan as he thought about what he needed to do.

"What's wrong, Merlin?" Morgana asked, looking really concerned and confused while he was so deeply in thought.

"A lot, really." he grumbled, putting his face in his hands. He had the sudden desire to just throw his head against a brick wall. "There are a lot of things that have just-"

He momentarily forgot that she was even there and started pacing, trying to figure out some solution to this mess. Usually he would've been able to get rid of all the evidence, as gruesome as that sounds. But now, they've taken it! Who knows what information they've obtained from it? What if they figured out where he came from or that he does magic, even? That brick wall was sounding better and better by the moment.

" _Emrys, I trained you to be prepared for many things. I'm sure you'll think of something."_

Merlin grabbed his hair and tried not to yank out every single strand as he thought about what she said.

"What does that even mean?!" Merlin yelled, trying not to get too frustrated, and yet failing entirely. He stopped mid-step in front of the fireplace and looked at Morgana, and cleared his throat and fixed his hair. "Sorry about that."

Morgana smirked, entertained by what she had seen. She assumed that the teacher had said something that was somewhat cryptic, which was obviously bothering him. He looked rather deflated after that rather insightful display. He had been pacing at an increasingly quick pace, obviously irritated about the situation and she couldn't really blame him. Morgause had sent an apprentice that was quite different in the way he acted. She'd have to test the boundaries of that. If her theory was correct, he was already on the path to doing the same.

"I believe that being with Arthur and his knights would best suit you and your talents, Merlin. Leon is always very kind to everyone, especially the new recruits. He would most willingly take you on, especially if I reminded him that it was you who saved me."

Merlin narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what she was playing at. She knew that his mistress had said that wasn't allowed. What did she think she was doing? He couldn't protect her if he was miles away with the prince and his knights. Of course, if she truly were an ally of his mistress she'd know how to entrap people quite well. This was a trap, and he knew it. The question was, did she think he could figure it out or was it merely some kind of test? Yes, they were truly related somehow; this was something mistress was very fond of doing. Fine, he'd play along.

"I suppose you believe that I'll go along as a spy of a sort or is it that you simply want to be rid of me?"

"Why would I need a spy, let alone one that is incapable as you?" Morgana replied, scoffed.

"You cannot fool me, milady. My mistress would not send me somewhere long term without telling you what I was capable of."

Morgana turned slightly, trying not to show her frustration with him. Morgause was right about him, after all. He could twist things in a situation better than she ever could. He was probably an incredible actor as well, which would come in handy once they came across Uther and Arthur.

"And if I ordered you to?"

"I'd say no. My mistress' orders supersede your own. I will follow her's first and your's second. My apologies, milady." Merlin said, only sounding half sorry. "If you are done trying to test and trap me, I do believe there are some more pressing issues at hand."

Morgana was shocked at both his intelligence and his impudence, and wasn't quite sure how to reply. All she could really manage to do was nod. She saw Merlin look at the door and she looked at it, before looking back at him confused.

"Merlin?"

Merlin closed his eyes and concentrated, telling her his observations.

"Your prince is back, I believe, with a few more people. Should I be ready to attack, milady?"

Morgana rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement.

"I seriously doubt it. They probably figured out that you're awake and want to question you. I hope you're ready. They tend to get a bit out of hand, thinking things are out to get them."

"They are." Merlin said flatly.

"Merlin."

"What?"

"Just try not to draw too much attention to yourself for now." Morgana sighed as the door opened and Arthur, Uther and Leon entered. To say that they were surprised that Merlin was not only awake, but standing, would be a definite understatement.

Arthur looked surprised for a moment, but collected himself as well as he could. Uther looked at the person who, according to Leon, had saved Morgana. He honestly wasn't quite sure what to think. He wasn't small, yet he definitely wasn't large. He seemed to have what people would call a forgettable sort of countenance. He would be the perfect type for an assassin, that was for sure. What was he really here for?

Merlin looked between the two, trying to act nervous. He had been questioned before by people in charge and the only thing that scared him at all was his hatred of magic. However, it made no difference since he could always fake an escape if he was caught and protect Morgana in another way. This man could make his life more difficult, but he would not fail his mistress or Morgana.

"Milords?" he asked quietly, trying to appear scared and humble. He saw Morgana, who was looking rather impressed at his acting skills. He bowed a bit as to not give away his smirk, which he most definitely knew that she saw.

"How is it you came into our forest? Were you on your way to kill someone in the city? Maybe one of us?"

And there it was. He had hoped to have been able to get rid of all of the evidence before everyone got suspicious, but apparently this was going to be a lot harder. Play the idiot.

"No, sire. As ashamed as I am to admit it, I am merely an apprentice and my master has been very sick. I just got very lucky that they were so foolish as to attack one at a time is all."

Morgana watched as the other two looked at Merlin, unsure if they should laugh, facepalm at the stupidity of it all, or maybe just leave entirely. She had to admit that the guy really was quite the genius when it came to on the spot thinking. But how was she supposed to have an idiot for a bodyguard? What was he thinking?

"What kind of reward did you want as a thanks for saving the Lady Morgana?"

Merlin's eyes got wide as if he didn't see this coming. _As if_.

"Oh no, Milord! There's no way I could possibly-"

 _You're such a fool, Uther. Of course, I almost fell for it, too._

"I could always train him, Father." Arthur said, smiling.

 _Oh no. This looks bad. And yet Merlin doesn't seem that worried? That makes me nervous. Why is he looking at…_

"Let him be my bodyguard." Morgana said, screaming at herself and cursing at Merlin. This was a bad idea and she was going to let her sister know that. She saw Merlin looking at her in shock, which obviously meant, 'keep going'. She groaned, hating him for making her do this. "I think he could learn very fast and he can take some lessons, if it pleases you."

 _There, you happy?_

Uther definitely wasn't pleased with this particular turn of events, especially seeing as he hadn't exactly said whether or not he was trying to kill one of them. He'd allow it, for now.

"Very well. What is your name, lad?"

"Merlin."

"Merlin, you will take one class every week from Arthur and stay by Morgana otherwise. You can stay in the quarters by hers."

"Yes, milord."

Morgana and Merlin watched as Arthur and Uther left, tailed by a silent and observant Leon. Once the door closed, they both sighed in sync and looked at each other.

"I have to pretend to be somewhat incompetent for a week or two, don't I?" Merlin muttered.

"It's your own fault, spinning a tale like that. I suppose that if you play the idiot in front of them for a few weeks, they'll be all the more impressed with you in the long run." Morgana said, giving him an all too familiar smirk. He looked at her for a minute, and was pretty sure that he had the right answer. He had been sure before, but that smirk made him positive. That gave him an idea, which was slightly dangerous. They headed towards their rooms and he saw the perfect opportunity.

"How is your sister?"

Next chapter: What will she tell Merlin? Will she fess up or will she try to deny it? Merlin starts work almost immediately and teaches Morgana some.

A/N: I'm evil, no doubt. However, I've been writing for hours now and I'm going to call it a day (over 4k words O_O I mean, I barely ever do rough drafts anymore. I just go straight to the computer these days. Next up, I think will be my HTTYD fic, since I just did my NCIS fic yesterday.


	3. Complications and Irritations

A/N: I know that I said that I was going to get to this right away, but between people's homework, the holidays, obligated social events… -_-' I can't say I've had a whole lot of time to do as much writing as I would have liked. It makes me sad, truly.

Last chapter: Merlin receives instructions telling him to not only teach Morgana, but to also be

her bodyguard and clean up his mess. As he finally wakes up, he is almost immediately questioned by Uther and Arthur and spins a creative tale about how he had managed to save Morgana. Just as Morgana lets down her guard, Merlin pounces and subtly interrogates her…

Chapter 3: Complications and Irritations

 _"I have to pretend to be somewhat incompetent for a week or two, don't I?" Merlin muttered._

 _"It's your own fault, spinning a tale like that. I suppose that if you play the idiot in front of them for a few weeks, they'll be all the more impressed with you in the long run." Morgana said, giving him an all too familiar smirk. He looked at her for a minute, and was pretty sure that he had the right answer. He had been sure before, but that smirk made him positive. That gave him an idea, which was slightly dangerous. They headed towards their rooms and he saw the perfect opportunity._

 _"How is your sister?"_

~~~~~~~~~MerlinxMorganaxMerlinxMorganaxMerlinxMorganaXMerlinxMorgana~~~~~~~~~~

Morgana stopped mid step, stiffening noticeably and telling Merlin all he needed to know without even telling him anything. He hadn't been sure initially, but her reaction told him all he needed to know. Now he could do nothing but wait to see if she denied it and tried to hide what he already knew, or if she would admit it. Admittedly, he was sort of looking forward to seeing what direction she decided to try and go. As a lady of the court, it would be a logical choice for her to keep her relationship to Morgause only known to those she trusted. On the other hand, she seemed loyal enough to tell just about anyone. She was not shy about her opinions, and came across as someone who would not care about the consequences all that much.

"I think I must have misheard you just now. What did you just say?" Morgana asked, looking around and dropping her voice a bit.

 _So that's how it's going to be._

"I think you heard me just fine, milady, otherwise you wouldn't have tensed up and dropped your voice. So, why don't we try to pretend that we're both adults here and stop lying and subterfuge?" Merlin asked, stepping in front of her. She could easily have him put in the stocks for his behavior, especially with him being of a lower class and all. He was never like this with his mistress; in fact, he was actually quite terrified of her at times. She was pretty merciless, almost a polar opposite to her sister. Now, if only she would come out and admit it, he suppose he would get a good deal of satisfaction from that.

"How do you even know about it? She told me that she didn't tell you and I didn't either."

"I've been around Lady Morgause for several years now, learning all types of things from her. I noticed that you both like to do the same things, the same gestures a lot of the times.I knew you were related in some sort of way almost immediately." he told her, as if it was completely obvious.

Morgana sighed, muttering to herself.

"Sorry?" He asked, not sure whether to apologize for asking in the first place or ask her to repeat herself.

"It's nothing, I suppose; it would've happened sooner or later. She did tell me about your particular personality quirks, and I expected you to find out about it at some point. Truthfully, I had thought that I would have more time."

Merlin looked at her, raising his eyebrows in an obviously skeptic matter.

"Don't look at me like that." Morgana said, scowling in a very unladylike manner. "I hope you know that I am not above putting you in the stocks, protector or not."

Merlin rolled his eyes internally and sighed to himself, barely managing to keep himself from mumbling words that weren't meant for present company. He already had too many problems as it was, which just seemed to be automatically piling up day by day without his given permission.

"I have already told you that I will follow Lady Morgause's orders, and your approval is not necessary. I would appreciate it, but I don't necessarily require it milady." he reminded her, careless of how it sounded. He had too much on his mind as it was to care what she thought, much less her opinion on the matter. He had to keep a watchful eye on what was going on with those he had gotten rid of the other night, all while trying to keep an eye out for danger and trying to act like he wasn't totally competent. How did this become so complicated?

"You seem quite lost in thought about something. What is it? Is it about the lessons?" Morgana asked, not noticing Merlin wince. He'd forgotten about that, apparently.

"I just have a lot on my mind milady." he muttered, putting his hands in his hair unconsciously. It was something that he hadn't done for a while, because he only did it in highly stressful situations. The last time he felt this stressed out was when he found out about Mordred. Just thinking about that situation made him feel all sorts of stressed out and he was starting to feel like he had done all of this for naught. He was told he had to choose and had made his choice, even if it made him into something that gave him all sorts of nightmares.

They reached what was to be his new room for however long his mistress decided, which was near the attached servant's quarters of her room. It was more or less spartan, which was to be expected in his line of work. He wasn't a noble or a knight, but merely a bodyguard. His job was to guard and to get rid of anyone in her way, no matter who it might be. Of course, he still had work to do, regarding his last job. It was his fault, really, for being so careless. He should have at the very least burned the bodies. He should've taken his time arriving, considering the amount of time he had waiting for Morgana to show up that night. He would've met up with her at some point, but if he hadn't made it on time, who knows what would've happened? Maybe they would've let her be, considering her station, but the odds were good that something else would have happened if he hadn't been there. These were dangerous times and she was woefully unprepared for whatever Morgause is undoubtedly planning. It was unlikely that there would be a choice as to who would be on which side. Fate and circumstance had chosen that long ago, and there was no going back now. Merlin stood in the middle of the room, not saying anything for a good while.

"Merlin?"

"I know. It looks nice, milady. Do you need anything? I'm supposed to be having "lessons" with Arthur today." Merlin groaned, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"He's supposed to be the best there is, although I can still beat him. It'll be good practice, even if you weren't having to act like a complete fool. Besides, it'll be good for your reflexes." Morgana pointed out.

Merlin frowned at that, not quite sure what to think about going against the prince so halfheartedly. He knew he didn't have much of a choice, but it was dangerous to go against someone that was strong and barely give an effort. Arthur would probably notice too. Morgause had told him several times how bad of a liar he was. If he was to be her bodyguard, he had to hold back and yet look competent enough to do his job at the same time. It wouldn't do for him to be the laughing stock of the castle, although it could also work in his favor if he looked like he was barely able and had just been lucky. The other problem was hiding his magic, which had this nasty habit of interfering when he was on the defense. Morgana looked at him oddly, noting his solemn expression. Something was definitely on his mind, but she obviously wasn't too sure if she should interrupt what seemed to be an important thought process. After a somewhat lengthy silence, she was about to ask what he was thinking about when he started to mumble and pace across the room. Finally giving into what was now a fairly short temper, she barely restrained herself from grabbing him and shaking an answer out of him.

"What is it that has you pacing about the room and mumbling to yourself? It is a very annoying habit for others to listen to and your silent brooding is not helping at all."

Merlin stopped for a moment and barely gave her a glance, before letting out a few calming breaths. He didn't need the added stress of her trying to start some ridiculous argument or debate right now. There were too many things he had to juggle right now, so the best he could accomplish at the moment was ignoring her.

"Would you just stop looking at me like that? I've done nothing to you."

 _No, I guess you're just annoyingly persistent when I want you to shut up and let me think. But my mistress would tear me to pieces if she even thought I was hurting you in any sort of way. Besides, it's_ her _that's done something wrong; I'm just helpless to do anything about it._

Finally giving up on pacing, he sat on the lone chair in the room and tapped his finger on the small table. He had to move in some sort of way, and it kept him from lashing out with his magic accidentally. He glanced up to see her standing in the same place, obviously determined to get an answer before she left. He didn't know why he was being so stubborn about not telling her anything, but it kind of felt like he wanted to just be stubborn and try to see how far she would go. It was a test of sorts, and so far things were still on the fence, so to speak. She would either stubbornly push the issue or leave him to his thoughts, and truthfully, he wasn't sure which way he wanted things to go. If she pushed, then he'd push back; lady of the court or not.

"Give me a reason that I should, _milady_." he said, putting an emphasis on the end in an almost mocking tone. "Is it because you believe you deserve it as a royal, and a lady of the court? Or maybe because you are the sister of my mistress?"

She looked back at him, not sure whether she should be feeling angry, scandalized or just outright impressed at the gall of what he had said to her. She thought back to what her sister had said in the letter and how intelligent he had shown himself to be so far. Was she angry? Undoubtedly. But the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like he was just trying to see how far he could push her. He was irritated about something but it appeared that he was just testing her, which probably should have made her even more angry if she had not done it to him previously.

"I have done nothing to earn your ire, and whether you feel I deserve your respect is of no consequence. Although, I would not share such opinions in Uther's presence if I were you. He is wary of your sudden appearance as it is, though I suppose he should be."

Merlin was somewhat less irritated than before, but still felt like pacing again. He didn't feel like being interrogated about the current situation, but he did feel like sharing his problems with _someone_. He still had to consult with the physician and somehow work something out so that nothing went wrong, or maybe he should just do it without his knowledge.

"Merlin, just tell me at least something. Is it about the training with Arthur?" Morgana asked, finally coming over to look him straight in the eye. He could practically see his mistress' smirk in his mind, telling him what a bad liar he's always been. He tried very hard not to gulp and avert his eyes, and knew there was nothing else in the room he could redirect her towards. Sighing, he looked up at her and wanted to tell her to just mind her own business and go rest or something. However, he lost all of his will to fight when he looked at obvious concern in her eyes and told her about his problem concerning his "training" with Arthur.

"I have too many problems already and now I have to hold back on this training and _somehow_ look like I can manage to do my job and not become a laughing stock. However, if I look unassuming, it would make it easier I suppose. From what I can tell, both Arthur and Uther don't seem the type to look beneath what they see on the surface, right?" Merlin said, as he started to list off the issues and problems that were undoubtedly going to occur. "Why am I even bothering? Oh, yes; because Morgause told, well, threatened me is more like it. If I wasn't already in debt to the woman, I'd probably never have even bothered taking on all of this nonsense in the first place. Of all the stupid, ridiculous and inane things she's had me suffer through, this is by far the worst. Camelot of all places! She's trying to give me a stress-induced panic attack or something!" he said, gripping his hair and behaving uncharastically frantic.

 _It's a little too late for that, don't you think, Merlin?_

"Sorry?" Merlin asked, stopping mid-rant. Despite having just met her, he'd know her voice anywhere and Morgana _had_ managed to stop his panic; even if it was only temporary. By the look of both sheer confusion and abject horror on her face, it was completely accidental. It seems that she needs teaching more than I thought. If something like that were to happen in front of someone who wasn't magically inclined, things would get dangerous and he'd have no choice but to reveal his true self in front of everyone. It wasn't ideal, but there wasn't anything else that could be done about it. He didn't even know anything about her true abilities and yet he was supposed to teach her, on top of all of this other nonsense.

"I said that outloud?" Morgana whispered, not losing her look of shock. Apparently, she hadn't quite caught on to the fact that she hadn't spoken until now.

"Said what outloud?" Merlin asked, trying to make sure he heard correctly.

He was skeptical about trying to teach her in the first place, especially with her being Morgause's sister. He was hardly someone that could even _somewhat_ qualify as a teacher, let alone a mentor of some sort. Nothing good ever came of one student trying to teach another, much less someone with his motives. He hadn't been all too willing of a student initially, and he knew that Morgause had been using him ever since he had found Iseldir near the druid camp. Needless to say, he now possessed information that he almost wished he could've just remained ignorant about. Ignorance is bliss indeed. The information concerning not only him, but Mordred made him clench his jaw in anger at the mere thought of it. He was trapped in a tough position, and even worse, he had to now somehow find a way to teach _her sister_ things he mostly did by mere instinct. Things were seeming to go from a mere snowball fight to a seriously dangerous avalanche, with traps and dangers at every corner. What he chose from now on could have serious repercussions for everyone involved if he wasn't careful. He knew that Morgause was coming to Camelot, and she wanted Morgana trained to a certain degree.

"You're being awfully quiet over there. What's on your mind, Merlin?" Morgana asked, lifting an eyebrow and looking at him curiously. He looked back at her and barely repressed a sigh, merely biting his lip. It was a bad habit, and anyone who knew him at all knew that it was a sign of him trying not to yell in frustration or let his magic lash out at the nearest convenient thing he saw.

"I have so many things to do and now I have your training on top of it. I thought I could delay it a week or so, but it is pretty obvious that's not the case."

Morgana narrowed her eyes, obviously sure that he wasn't telling her everything.

"What aren't you telling me? I demand to know."

Merlin, who had been previously had his eyes trained on the castle grounds, held back the sarcastic retort that would no doubt have him headed for the stocks. He had it on good authority that this was someone who was supposed to be a "kind-hearted beyond measure and beautiful". He almost snorted at the thought of the description; she seemed nothing but haughty and demanding, nowhere near what he had imagined her to be. He glanced back at her, trying to think of a response that wouldn't land him in a cell or the stocks; unfortunately, nothing came to mind at the current moment.

"You _demand?_ " he asked, barely able to maintain his neutral expression. He noticed her flinch, probably from the way his expression failed to match what he said to her. Knowing what he did about her thus far, he knew she wasn't going to back down without a fight; he decided that the only way to end the discussion in what was probably one of his more reckless moves. "I have told you this once, but it seems I am destined to repeat it several times a day. I answer to your sister, and not to you. Demand answers all you want, but you will get them when I can give them and not before. There are things that you simply do not have the privilege of knowing."

If Morgana had looked appalled at what could easily be described as a rant, possibly coming to the realization that she was not going to get the answers she wanted no matter what she said. She glared at him in a very unladylike fashion, which was hopefully not going to be all too common an occurrence. There was something going on, and that much was obvious. Heading towards the towards the door, she barely looked at him on her way out. With her hand on the door, she paused as she saw him move out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure why, but the silent way he was able to glide across the floor unnerved her more than she would like to admit. She opened the door, if only to escape the chill she felt going up her spine as he looked at her with what could only be a blank expression.

"Be careful with Arthur, you'll need your rest." she said, trying to make it look like she wasn't running away.

As the door slammed closed, Merlin wondered about not only the next day, but about his other problems. He had a hunch that some of his answers lie with the court physician, Gaius. He wasn't sure that he could trust him about any of this, but he was beginning to think that he was out of options. He knew that the physician had the king's trust, which was both good _and_ bad. It could work to his advantage, but he would have to be very careful. There were certain things that would only work against him if they fell into the wrong hands. With that in mind, he made his way back to the physician, hoping this wasn't a horrible mistake that would cause numerous amounts of problems.

A/N: So, Merlin obviously has a load of problems and no one to really share them with. Can he trust Gaius? What is it that transpired in the forest and what does Morgause have to do with it? Is Mordred going to get involved or are there others? How will his training with Arthur go? o_O


	4. According to Plan?

A/N: I think other than this and possibly (if I decide to do another chapter) my Naruto fic, I'm pretty much caught up on everything. Woot! Ah...except for my Yugioh one that I've just about forgotten. T.T Anywho, it's the first time in a while that I've felt so accomplished and I'm hoping that this doesn't turn out as some filler chapter. . Actually, I'm kinda surprised that I got no...mentions about what the heck is going on between Merlin and Mordred. Meh. I would have gotten this done sooner, but we've been in the process of moving. Sorry.

Meri Ley: I haven't totally decided if they're going to actually end up together, but I'm definitely not going to have him with Freya. For now, it's a bodyguard/teacher kind of thing. Who knows?

Grey Aurora: Thanks! I'm trying for a totally different type of Merlin, and trying not to stray too far from the other characters. Hopefully, Morgana is pretty spot on with her demanding and entitled self...for now.

Last chapter: Merlin has his plate full with having to outwit Arthur, deal with Gaius, not to mention teach and bodyguard Morgana. Morgana demands to know information, which only serves to frustrate Merlin more. He may be her bodyguard and teacher, but he still takes orders from her sister.

-Warning: Hunith is very OOC in this chapter, in a protective mother bear kind of way-

Chapter 4: According to Plan?

Merlin used his telekinesis to sharpen several of his daggers absentmindedly as he made sure to keep his senses open enough so no one could approach his room without him knowing. Most of his mind was still stuck on the memory of meeting _Gaius_ earlier, as he had unfortunately needed to do. He had decided to get it done before the physician could get a look at the bodies and ruin his stay in Camelot before even a week had passed. It had been nothing but bad luck since he'd arrived here so far, and was only getting worse it seemed as he snuck into the chambers just before dawn to find Gaius already examining the bodies. Merlin inwardly cursed and went to his next plan. It wasn't ideal by any means, but it would have to do. As he saw him finish, Merlin took a dagger from his cloak and was prepared to use it as a last resort. As he got a mere foot behind the man; he finally spoke and made him jump, forcing him to drop what he had in his hands. Merlin watched with a neutral look from under his hood, as he saw Gaius in full view for the first time. He gripped the dagger in his hands tightly and forced it to not move towards the old man's neck. However, he was unable to restrain himself from slightly growling at the man. _How dare he?!_

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slice you like some carved...fowl or perhaps maybe a boar? I've heard rumors that the prince here is quite a fan of hunting." Merlin demanded as his hands started to shake in fury.

Gaius just looked at him confused, unable to remember ever angering someone to the point of being threatened like this. Even with his hood still up, he could tell it was a younger man. It was usually the older generation or much younger that got angry, when he had been forced to give bad news. In what felt like slow motion, he saw a pair of eyes that he wished he would have forgotten.

"By the look in your eyes, I can see that you remember me. That's good." Merlin said, having calmed down considerably. Morgause had always told him that when it came to those _close_ to him, he let his emotions rule him. Usually he could remain calm and controlled while on the job, seemingly unaffected. Seeing Gaius had made memories and emotions resurface that he hadn't felt for several years, and the momentary loss of control made him both irritated and surprised. He narrowed his eyes at the thought, before bringing the dagger in front of him to play with casually as a distraction. Swinging it back and forth and then flipping it nonchalantly, he caught it and brought it inches from the man's head. "So I suppose that means you also remember my mother...and Mordred."

"Mordred? He's still alive?" Gaius asked in shock, trying in vain to ignore the dagger that was uncomfortably close to him.

"Acting like you care so suddenly? That's obviously not like you at all." If he saw him flinch at the accusation, he didn't say anything about it and merely continued. "If anything, I see the opposite is true. You knew what I was from the beginning and that my mother was overwhelmed. You knew about Mordred. Do you remember what you told her?" Merlin asked him, looking calmly as he walked towards one of the bodies. The only solution he could think of for them not to suspect magic was to make it look like a dagger had killed them all. But since all of them were already dead, the last one's blood had already stopped flowing. It was a mess, but he stabbed the man on the side so that it would appear like he had slowly bled out and poured a vial of blood around the area.

Gaius looked on and tried to stop him, but a knife made a sudden reappearance. He had to admit that it looked quite convincing to someone who wasn't in the medical field or had much experience. It was crude, but proved what he heard to be true: Merlin was indeed an assassin. He looked on in fear, wondering if he would be next for the obvious grudge that was quite well-deserved in all fairness. He sighed, trying to back up from the knife that followed him regardless. He never forgot that day, as much as he wanted to.

-Flashback-

 _Hunith had come to see him, dragging behind her a much younger Merlin and holding a very young and curious looking Mordred. She looked overwrought and exhausted, which was really no surprise. Having two magically inclined boys living with you that seemed to have accidental bursts of magic would have anyone on edge. No one except maybe her truly knew where Mordred came from or what his age was,* but she had more or less adopted him regardless. Gaius had helped her on several occasions, never acknowledging the "magic problem"; it seemed things had finally come to a head as she walked into his main room and let the boys rest upstairs after the long journey. After resting for a while, Merlin had gotten up and was about to go back downstairs when he heard his mother and Gaius talking in increasingly loud voices. How Mordred had remained sleeping through all of this remained a mystery to him. Shifting closer towards the door, Merlin heard them arguing and was surprised to find out it was about him and Mordred._

" _How can you be friends with that...man?! You know what he's done and who he's killed since the birth of his son?" After he heard some mumuring that obviously came from Gaius, he heard a crash and restrained himself from checking out the source. "You cannot expect me to feel sorrow for that man! I came here and put all of us in danger due to your selfishness. He's using you to oust other people and their families, yet you do nothing."_

" _Hunith, I am his friend and physician. He is not using me to do anything."_

" _You are a blind fool if you think that he saved you just because you are friends! He'll soon ask you your opinion about magical incidents and its not because he's interested."_

 _Gaius sighed, realizing this was a losing battle._

" _I suppose we're at an impasse then. Did you come just to be in danger or for some medicine?" Gaius asked, dancing around the subject._

" _I've started noticing more accidents happening with them." she told him, finally out of gas. Seeing him get a new bottle of sleeping medicine and some honey, she narrowed her eyes. "What is this? You want me drug them?"_

 _Merlin put his hand over his mouth to try and silence his gasp, and checked to see that Mordred had thankfully heard none of that. His mother was sounding like Gaius had wanted to poison them, but drugging them so they wouldn't have accidental bouts of magic seemed almost as bad._

" _It's more for your sake. It's either going to be you or them, as you obviously need sleep. They obviously don't need help sleeping, so a spoonful in their water with honey at breakfast should do."_

" _I want another option, Gaius. I refuse to drug my children just to make my life easier. I'll take it in small doses to sleep easier, so what else is there?" Hunith asked him, looking quite irritated with what he had suggested._

" _The only other option would be the druids, but they likely will be hard to find now. Last I checked there was a camp not too far from Ealdor. Those are your only real options you know."_

 _Merlin barely made it to the bed before he started to cry silently. Would she really do that to them? Why was Gaius so adamant about basically abandoning them or drugging them? And why was he here helping a king that chased after people like him and his brother, even Gaius himself? He wasn't stupid. He knew all too well what had happened to his father and hoped for the man on the other side of the door that he hadn't had anything to do with hunting him down and trying to kill him._

-Flashback end-

Gaius looked at the young man who he knew without a doubt was Merlin and had to wonder how things came to be this way. He had heard only rumors, of course, and only knew that Hunith had chosen to head for Iseldir's camp. He had been told that she was living there for a short time with the boys before the camp was invaded by knights, quite possibly under Uther's orders. If that was true, it meant that Hunith was truly dead and the boy had every right to hate him. It had been his idea after all and somehow he seemed to know that. He didn't know how Merlin escaped or even if Mordred did, but he was thankful regardless.

"Who rescued you? What about Mordred?"

"Why should I tell you, someone who turns in his own kind? All it took was for Uther saying he'd pardon you, and after that you were to be his "advisor". He knew exactly what you were and he pounced on it; and it seems you were more than happy to oblige, even if it meant sacrificing a close friend and her children." Merlin sneered as he put one of the daggers away and walked casually towards him. "My mother was killed at the camp when Uther had his _knights_ invaded during the night and killed people in their sleep like cowards." Gaius paled as he thought of the woman he had once been close to being stabbed and bleeding out, caught unawares in her sleep next to her children. Merlin saw this and laughed mirthlessly. "What? You'd rather she drugged us as you'd requested that night? Yes, I know all about how you ignored her requests for help and the letters; how you simply warned her about the city as to ease your guilt."

"Are you going to kill me then?" Gaius asked, looking at the blade that was still floating midair, mere inches from him. It occurred to him that Merlin had said nothing about how they were rescued or Mordred's fate, but he figured it was too soon to ask and Merlin was angry enough as it was. Merlin smiled at him, making him feel all too nervous and grabbed the weapon out of the air. He knew Gaius wouldn't bother trying to run, as he had no idea if he was going to die on the spot for his failures.

"I imagine that looking at the face of one of the sons of your closest friends, and knowing that you caused her demise is punishment enough...for the time being. I trust you know that it wouldn't be all too wise to betray me, seeing as you remember what I was able to do as a child. As you might like to imagine, I have...practiced since then and I know of your weaknesses; so if I were you, I wouldn't do anything too reckless." he finished, as he put away his dagger. Merlin opened the door and made one of the empty bottles of poison shatter to emphasize his point as he left.

He had "training" to get to, which was going to be incredibly dull to be sure. He didn't like the idiot prince and he was quite sure that the man had at least commanded the forces that invaded the druid camp where his family had lived for only a few short months or so. He walked and arrived at the field, narrowing his eyes as he remembered that hair and armor at the camp. He gave Arthur a neutral expression, giving nothing away as his thoughts kept straying back to the night of the attack. It had only been sheer dumb luck that some of them had escaped at all.

"You ready for your first lesson, then?" Arthur asked, sounding just as arrogant as Merlin had expected.

Merlin had been forced to put on a version of a magic restrictor charm, which was thankfully something that only lasted as long as he wanted it to. It was his own invention, created in the heat of the moment during a nasty encounter with the infamous witch finder. He hadn't decided to share it with anyone as of yet, but that was more out of precaution than anything. He looked at Arthur, trying to measure his skills like Morgause had taught him. He seemed like a somewhat cautious man, who could be quite the tactician if he gave him too much time. Ironically, he also seemed like a brawler; as the heir apparent, he had been taught to control his impulses and emotions. Merlin had done as much investigating as he could in the limited timeframe he had, and had found that his weaknesses were Gwen and his family. His father's cold approach towards leading a kingdom and eliminating magic had had a definite impact on him, according to Morgana. His strengths didn't worry him too much, as he was quite proficient in weapons himself. As they circled each other, he could feel Arthur's eyes scanned him and was trying to find a weakness and decided to give him a false sense of security by attacking first. He inwardly smirked and berated himself at the same time for acting so reckless with an opponent he barely had any information on. Arthur merely laughed at him for being so stupid.

"This will be easier than I thought, huh? Did your master teach you nothing? Being reckless like that is an easy way to get yourself killed."

Merlin allowed himself to trip a little before hiding one of his daggers behind his shield and another up his sleeve. Smiling and rubbing the back of his head carelessly, he shifted both of the daggers into position. The prince looked at the man like he'd obviously lost his mind as Merlin smiled when Arthur shifted his guard a moment too late. He saw Leon's eyes widen comically out of the corner of his eyes as he ducked under a late swing of Arthur's; only to drop his shield enough to reveal one dagger, leaving the other at blocking Arthur's own shield. Arthur looked triumphant, dropping his guard to declare himself the winner when Leon cried out in alarm. As a general rule, one wasn't supposed to do so in a mere spar, but it was obvious that the man thought he was in actual danger. Raising his sword in reflex, he was just able to stop the second dagger from reaching his throat. Merlin backed off and picked up his shield, only to see his magic restricting band start to fade.

"I'm sorry, I suppose it was my training, sire. Once I get in that mode, I just keep going, but I promise you that I was never going to harm you. I only go after my targets, but my teacher was rather...intense with the sessions to the point I sometimes dropped from exhaustion." Merlin said, trying to sound unimpressive and yet apologetic at the same time. The last thing he needed was the prat telling his father that he'd almost been killed by the assassin they'd just hired. That would only make things more complicated. Arthur looked at him for a few minutes, probably going over the fight; it took all Merlin had in him not to fidget as he managed not to flinch outwardly.

"You were holding back, I can tell."

This time, Merlin couldn't contain his flinch, even if it was barely noticeable to anyone around him. Arthur, however, had noticed and jumped on it.* Leaning forward so no one would hear them, he whispered to him.

"Next time, we'll find somewhere private to train so I can see your true potential; something tells me you're more than capable at protecting Morgana. In return, I won't tell my father. I'll merely tell him that you're improving a lot faster than I ever expected. What do you say?"

 _Like I have a choice._

"Very well. We shall have to keep up the charade for your knights sake, as I do not trust anyone outside of your inner circle to not "accidentally" tell the king that we mysteriously vanished." Merlin told him cautiously, before stepping back.

"You have done better than I expected" Arthur stated in a normal voice, "however, you better do as I say or there will be repercussions." He could practically feel Leon's burning gaze, asking him several questions at once. He knew that the both of them would have to be careful, should Leon or one of the others decide to follow them. As he looked at the retreating figure of the assassin, he somehow doubted that being followed would be that big of a problem.

TBC…

*Yeah, I decided that the BBC did an absolutely cruddy job with Arthur's intelligence. Truly. Things that happened right in front of him were absolutely ignored that had me shaking my fist in aggravation several times.

So, the plot thickens methinks. Leon obviously doesn't trust Merlin (and for good reason), but will surely be duty bound to following orders...right? Morgana still needs to be taught, but now that Arthur has surprisingly caught onto the fact that Merlin is practically toying with him; when will Merlin manage to find the time to teach her? I know a lot of people like the mentor/father and son relationship Gaius and Merlin have, but I don't think there are any fics where he truly gets mad. Poor guy should be, considering all of the things the man did. Anyway, how's poor Merlin going to manage? Is Morgause going to contact him for help or send him help? Hmm...


End file.
